Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-19
A GREAT INDUSTRY,
Can California Begin to Supply the Pre-
served Fruit Demand

CHICAGO August lSth.-The Tribune this morn
ing says: The liuit dealers have been placed
in an unprecedented situation. In Chicago as
elsewhere, the stocks of dried and preserved
goods are about exhausted, and owing TO the
scarcity of labor ON the Pacific coast cannot be
replaced, although wholesale prices here have
risen from 10 TO 10 per cent Canned goods
especially fruits are apparently going to re-
tall during the winter at fully 80 per cent
shove the prices year previous According
to the Tribune, an increase of % per cent. TO
Caiifornia's last years pack will not be enough
to prevent the threatened famine in the East.
LIGHT PACKS IN THE EAST
There is no branch of trade in Chicago to-day
that is in a more feverish and unsettled condi-
dent over month ago that the packs of GER
tain kinds of fruits-such as cherries straw
berries and currants-were going 10 be very
light, the yield in very few places east of the
Mississippi river having exceeded the ordinary
demand for fresh fruit. Berry after berry dis
appointed the growers, until at last their hopes
were confined in this part of the country. to
the grape. peach and apple crops. Now it is
known-at least generally suspected-that these
hopes are also to be disappointed. The East
has had an abundance Of rain, but it is
AN OFF YEAR FOR APPlEs.
In many sections. and the yield is TOO small
growing sections of the West and South have
suffered from drought, which has ruined the
prospects of these fruits, and Eastern crops are
not much more than enough TO supply the
home demand.
II Is not wonderful, therefore, that dealers
in canned fruits are both active and anxious
They. ares suddenly called to face q situation
which was entirely unexpected two months
ago. Then they were tending all their ener-
gies TO the endeayor to enlarge their trade.
Now they are
OVERWHELMED AND DAZED
By years of business condensed into tt @ orders
OF one month. salesman on the road does a
good years work, ordinarily, il he takes lob
bers for $50 worth of goods, but last month has
been like the millennium to them. Each man has
come home with triumph at his success in work
ing up business, and prepared for compliments
on the 100000 in orders that he has telegraphed
to his firm; but chagrin and discontinue await
him.
CAN'T GET THE GooBs
His house has ransacked the country. and has
sent men to the Atlantic and Pacific slopes. but
they can't find stuff enough to fill his orders
The consumer has helped to aggravate the stu
ation Canned fruits have been so cheap in late
years that many housewife resolved at the
beginning of the season not to put up" any
fruit, and the scarcity of fruit in her neighbor-
hood only strengthened her determination She
has excused herself to her friends with the as
suranee that it did not pay to can ANYTHING
when one could buy it already canned for less
than the sugar cost. The effect OF this policy
has been felt by grocers handling fruit-iars for
which wholesalers here say there has been no
call whatever this summer. But now, not only
must the housewife pay double what sne ex-
pected to pay for canned peaches, but even
prunes-the cheap and famous substitute for
home fruits-are threatening to climb to the
nights now occupied by such Injuries as grape
preserves and raspberry jam.
CALIFORNIA HAS PLENTY.
The only patch of earth that is better off than
Mother Hubbards cupboard seems to be Cali
fornla. But California, IL is feared, will not
prove equal TO the emergency. She has fruit
enough, but she won't let the heather Chinee
pack it, and is not rich in native toilers. She
is not beginning TO take care OF the abundance
born of her soil and climate
II is mouth watering fact that such delicious
things as neetarines, peaches and Bartlett pears
are va1nly searching for some one in that State
by whom they may be devoured. Chicago deal
ers who have not California connections wish
they had, and are making every effort to secure
them now.